


The Gray Gunner

by TheGrayCowboy



Series: Miraculous: Tales of the Gray Gunner [2]
Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Gary Ash | Gray Gunner, Original Akumatized Character(s) - Freeform, Shock Thief
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-27
Updated: 2020-10-27
Packaged: 2021-03-09 04:47:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,581
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27218878
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheGrayCowboy/pseuds/TheGrayCowboy
Summary: Ladybug and Chat Noir finally meet this mysterious cowboy-theme vigilante.
Series: Miraculous: Tales of the Gray Gunner [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1990984





	The Gray Gunner

—— Part 1 ——

It has been five days since the Gray Cowboy’s debut to public eyes and Ladybug and Chat Noir still have yet to encounter him. Ladybug and Chat Noir fight akumatized villains mostly during the day while the Gray Cowboy fights criminals on the street during the night and late afternoon where few people are around. Even when the two heroes went on nightly patrols, they were unable to find this mysterious figure. They even tried drawing him out but he never showed. It is almost as if the Gray Cowboy knows their every single move; avoiding them. There was no luck for the two heroes and decided to wait for the Gray Cowboy to show himself.

It is a sunny Saturday morning, Marinette, Adrien, Nino, and Alya are taking their new friend from class, Gary, on a tour of Paris as promised. Everyone gathered in front of Marinette’s home and family bakery.

“Okay guys, I got today’s plan and destinations, and a power pack to last a whole day. How about you guys?” Alya asked?

“I got the snacks!” Said Marinette.

“Music, tour guide... Check!” Said Nino.

“Driver, check!” Said Adrien.

“And our guest?” Alya asked.

“That’s me… Checked!” Gary waved shyly.

“Everything checked out. Let today’s tour begin!”

“Thanks guys, you shouldn’t have.”

Gary is feeling grateful for his new friends putting on a tour for him. Everybody entered the small bus that is being rented out for the day with Adrien’s bodyguard as their driver. Nino sits in the front seat where he will be the tour guide.

“Ladies and gentlemen, dudes and dudettes, welcome aboard to our exclusive Tour de Paris, our today’s special guest, Gary Ash. Everyone say “hi” to Gary!”

“Hi Gary!”

“Hi...” Gary waved shyly.

“Now, without further adieu, please sit back and enjoy the ride!”

The group of teenagers visited as many places they could go in a day: Hotel de Ville, Arc de Triomphe, the Louvre, and even normal everyday streets. They stopped in some of the places to get a closer look where walked around and took pictures, and commented on the history and facts of each landmark. Gary was amazed by what he saw, everything I saw of Paris were from books and the internet before his arrival. He was expecting some of the landmarks to be bigger and grander as in the pictures, but he was not disappointed, he was glad he was able to witness them with his own eyes.

—— Part 2 ——

The teens decided to have lunch at a nearby small restaurant or bistro. Everybody in the restaurant was impressed by the fact Adrien Agreste, Paris’ teenage celebrity, is dining in their restaurant. The manager came out to greet Adrien and walk him and his friends to their table. All the customers in the restaurant were talking about Adrien, some pulled out their phones to get a picture of him, few tried to walk up to Adrien asking for a selfie, but they were stopped by Adrien’s Bodyguard. They sit down at one of the outdoor tables while the Bodyguard sits at another table just beside them to prevent anyone else from coming closer other than the restaurant workers. The server asks the teens what drinks and food they want to have; everyone spoke out their orders and the waiter left.

“So, guys, I’ve been meaning to ask. Do you guys eat… Escargot, frog legs, steak tartare, pate?” Gary asked.

“EWWWWWWW!!!!!!!”

Gary’s friends shouted in disgust. Marinette covers her mouth with both hands as her face turns green.

“Gross… Dude!” Said Nino.

“Don’t look at me! My mom may be a chef but I don’t eat all the stuff she makes.” Said Alya.

Adrien chuckled nervously.

“I’m sorry, guys. I thought those are common here. I just… I want to know why you, I mean, people in France eat that kind of stuff?”

“Honestly, I have no idea.” Said Alya.

“I guess it's just part of our culture.” Adrien smiled.

“What kind of gross food do you eat in America?” Nino asked.

“Hmm, I’m not sure… Does catfish count? I know some, but they’re not widely eaten.” Said Gary.

“Uh oh! I think Marinette is about to lose her lunch and we didn’t even have lunch yet.” Said Alya.

“Oops… So sorry, Mari!” Gary apologized.

The server brought in their food and everyone dined in, including Adrien’s Bodyguard. They eventually ate their fill and they started talking.

“So… Adrien, is it always like this for you everywhere you go, the mob of cheering fans and all that hustle-bustle?”

“Not all the time, okay, most of the time. But I manage. I thank my bodyguard for that.”

“And your father, Gabriel Agreste, put you up to this kind of life? Being this perfect boy supermodel?”

“My dad is just doing what best for me.”

Adrien smiles but Gary knows what he says is not all true; he had been in Adrien’s shoes before. This is where Gary begins to feel connected with Adrien more than ever before.

“There’s this one time, Marinette and I had to run and hide from my fans just to see an old movie with my mother in it. Yeah, it was fun.”

Adrien smiled then fell silent when he mentioned his mother. Gary feels guilty, he puts his hand on Adrien’s shoulder.

“You missed your mother, don’t you? You know something, Adrien Agreste, I envy you, for your love for your parents. I have my parents but we were never very close, we’re kind to each other but I just feel... Empty. I know they love me and they miss me but I don’t have the heart to feel the same.”

“Deep… Dude…!” Said Nino.

“I can’t imagine what you’re going through. So I’m sorry, for making you feel that way.” Gary apologized.

“It’s okay. It just reminds me how grateful to be here right now, you’re all my family too. Thank you, Gary, for being a good friend.” Adrien smiled at Gary.

Adrien and Gary hugged each other.

“Awwwwwww!!!!!!!”

Alya and Marinette watch with twinkle in their eyes.

Nino joined the hug.

“You know I got your back too, bro.”

“Thank you too, Nino.” Said Adrien.

“Okay, that’s enough, that’s enough. I’m getting mushy inside.” Gary’s eyes look like they are about to cry.

Alya snap a picture with her phone.

“Aren’t they cute?” Said Alya with a smile.

—— Part 3 ——

The teens finished their tour of Jardins du Trocadero and stopped in front of Pont D’Lena, on their way to their final destination of their today’s tour, the Eiffel Tower. Nino gives an introduction.

“We thank you for your patience with Tour de Paris, we saved this one best for last. You should see in front of you, the crown jewel of Paris and all of France, the Eiffel Tower! Built in 1887 and finished 1889 for the 1889’s World’s Fair. It is 324 meters or 1063 feet high with the base 125 square meter or 410 square feet, with only 3 floors and 8 elevators. Made of wrought iron. Constructed and named after our French engineer, Gustave Eiffel. It was thought that building a tower over 300 meters was impossible and insane but Gustave Eiffel showed them. Hope you’re ready, folks, because next stop, the Eiffel Tower!”

Everyone looks at the immense size and height of the Eiffel Tower. Gary is in awe.

“Is it better than any pictures you saw?” Asked Alya.

“I never thought I lived to see it. I mean, I see it all the time since I got here but not this close.” Said Gary.

“Well, you’ll be more amazed when you get inside.” Said Nino.

“Inside? Like up? Oh my… This is way more than I asked.” Said Gary.

Gary has an extreme fear of heights, he is thinking of not wanting to go.

“I remember I was scared when I first went up the Eiffel Tower, and when I saw how beautiful Paris looked from on top, my fear just went away.” Said Marinette, unaware of Gary’s fear.

Gary does not want to ruin today’s trip by bailing out the Eiffel Tower tour. He then realized there are places he wanted to see he never been to: the Parthenon of Athens in Greece, the Leaning Tower of Pisa and the Roman Coliseum in Italy, the Pyramid of Giza in Egypt. And Some places he never went when he had the chance and he regretted it. Climbing up the Eiffel Tower could be the chance of a lifetime and he is standing right in front of it. Heeding Marinette’s words, he took that chance over his fear believing that the end would be all worth it, not just himself but for Marinette and his friends he just made.

“*Phew!… Well then, what are we waiting for? Let’s get this show on the road! You can only live once, right? So, let’s go up that tower.” Said Gary, trying to sound enthusiastic.

“Sure Gary looked pumped!” Said Nino.

“He’s just excited.” Said Adrien.

“You heard him, let’s get this show on the road!” Said Alya.

Gary walks in front of the group, trying to look excited to hide his fear. They walked one-third of the way on Pont D’lena bridge above the Seine river when a sudden loud tire screeching noise caught the young group’s attention.

—— Part 4 ——

What the teens just saw appears to be a police chase, the armored truck the police are chasing drove past them, swerved and crashed at the opposite of the bridge where the teens were standing. Police cars surround the truck, men armed with stun guns aim at the truck, and Officer Raincomprix orders the suspects through his megaphone.

“Alright! Get out of the vehicle, put your hands in the air, and come slowly and quietly. We don't want any more trouble than we have. Get those people back! Back away, nothing to see here!”

The teens, along with other bystanders, watch with shock and anticipation.

“What just happened?!” Gary asked.

“It looks like a police chase. Said Adrien.

“I hope no one is hurt.” Said Marinette.

Alya looks up her phone.

“Check this out! There was a news about an armored truck robbery just outside a bank not far from here. That must be the truck.”

“Even with all the Akumas and supervillains around, you don’t see that everyday.” Said Nino

Officer Raincomprix orders the thieves again.

“Don’t make us come over there. Step out of the vehicle. This is your final warning!”

There was no reply.

“Alright boys! Bring in the charge.”

Officer Raincomprix ordered his fellow officers to approach the vehicle. One of them carries an explosive for breaching doors; they are ready to charge in.

—— Part 5 ——

The two thieves inside the truck, one who is the driver was knocked unconscious while the other is sitting in the back where the money is stored. The thief panics as he is holding a long shock rifle in his hands.

“I can’t believe this! All that planning, I came so close just to be arrested? Just one more heist and I’m set for life. So close… I am not going back to prison! You won’t take me alive, you hear me, you won’t take me alive!”

Meanwhile, the circular ‘butterfly’ window opens as Hawkmoth senses the thief’s desperation.

“So determined even in the face of all odds. This feeling I appreciate the most...”

A white butterfly flies into Hawkmoth’s hand, he covers it with both hands, turning the butterfly black with dark energy and it flies off to the window.

“Fly away my little Akuma and evilized his desperate heart!”

The Akuma flies across Paris to the location of the crashed armored truck, it slips inside and merges itself into the thief’s shock rifle. The thief’s face turned red around his eyes, turning into a scowl, and the thief began to hear Hawkmoth’s voice.

“Shock Thief. I am Hawkmoth. You worked so hard trying to be the most powerful man in the city and now they are going to take you away from that dream. I’m giving you the power to fight back and achieve your goals. To keep that power, you must bring me Ladybug and Chat Noir’s Miraculouses, then you can do whatever you want with it.”

“Anything better than prison, Hawkmoth!” Said the thief.

The thief’s body is engulfed in a dark purplish cloud and begins to change shape.

—— Part 6 ——

The police already set up a breaching charge on the armored truck rear doors. One of the police gave a thumbs up to Officer Raincomprix; the charge is ready.

“Okay, guys, by the count of three, breach. 1… 2… 3!-”

Right before Officer Raincomprix finished his countdown, the armored truck rear doors burst outward, and came out Shock Thief.

Shock Thief, wears a black jacket with yellow lightning streaks all over, a yellow shirt underneath, tight black pants with yellow lightning streaks as well, wears a black beanie heat on his head and black mask shape of a moth around his eyes, and carries an unusual-looking large shock gun in his right hand with a large cable attach to his backpack.

“When I said you won’t take me alive, I meant that you won’t be alive to do it!” Said Shock Thief.

“Light‘em up, boys!” Officer Raincomprix orders his men to fire their weapons.

The police’s stun guns have no effect on Shock Thief.

“Okay, set your guns from stun to bigger stun!”

Even with increased power of their stun guns still have no effect on Shock Thief.

“Ha, that tickles! Don’t you know by now that I’m electric? I’ll show you real firepower!”

Shock Thief’s gun shoots out a stream of lightning at the police car; some of the police run away.

“Don’t go. I got more to show you!”

This time, Shock Thief shoots smaller electrical energy bolts in rapidfire onto the police, destroying two of their cars, and all the police fall back.

“With this power, I can take whatever I want and no one in this city can stop me. The city will be mine! Now, where was I?”

As Shock Thief grabs the bags of money from the truck, all the bystanders on the bridge run away in fear. The teens hid behind one of the cars on the bridge.

“Is that… A supervillain?” Gary asked.

“He’s been akumatized!” Said Marinette.

“Let’s get back, it’s dangerous to be this close.” Said Adrien

Adrien’s Bodyguard grabbed Adrien to safety.

“Don’t forget about us, big dude!”

Everybody is running off the bridge except Alya who is recording the event with her phone.

“Alya, come on! It’s not safe here!” Said Nino.

“Are you kidding, we got an exclusive never-before-seen new villain, someone gotta stay and get this on video for everyone to see Shock Thief, from low-life criminal to supervillain. Don’t worry, I’ll be careful, Ladybug and Chat Noir stop him.”

“Well, if you’re staying, I’m staying.”

Nino stays behind to keep Alya safe.

Marinette hid on the sidewalk not far from the bridge where the view of her is blocked by a van and a tree. She checks both her sides making sure no one was there, she then opens her purse and Tikki flies out.

“This is bad, Tikki, if I don’t stop this new Akuma, he’ll do real damage and today’s tour might become Gary’s worst day in Paris.”

“Tikki, Spot On!”

Tikki is being sucked into Marinette’s earring, turned red with black spots, red and white flashes of energy passing through Marinette’s body, changing her clothes, and becomes Ladybug. And Ladybug jumped into battle against Shock Thief.

Nearby Jardins du Trocadero, Adrien’s bodyguard threw Adrien into the bus the teens rode in and shut the door behind him for his safety.

Adrien opens his jacket and Plagg flies out.

“At least he put me somewhere no one can see me. I gotta stop that Akuma.”

“Plagg, Claws Out!”

Plagg gets sucked into Adrien’s ring, turning from silver to black. Green and black flashes of energy passing Adrien’s body, changing his clothes, becomes Chat Noir.

The Bodyguard was unaware of Adrien’s transformation as he was more concerned with the chaos outside. Chat Noir snuck behind and he too leaped into battle to face Shock Thief with Ladybug on the bridge.

—— Part 7 ——

Ladybug appears first in the scene and Chat Noir last right behind her. Ladybug throws her yoyo and rips the sacks of money. They are ready to face Shock Thief.

“Look! There’s Ladybug and Chat Noir.” Alya shouted.

“So Mi’Lady, who are we dealing with?” Chat Noir asked.

“The bank robber has been akumatized calls himself Shock Thief, the Akuma must be in that shock gun he’s carrying.” Ladybug explained.

“This should be easy, we just have to get close and break it.”

“Hey, you won’t even come in ten feet near me!” Said Shock Thief.

Shock Thief shoots lightning at the two heroes.

“I’m supposed to tell you to give me your Miraculouses, but since I’m a thief, I don’t need asking. Unfortunately for you, Ladybug, you’re the bug, I’m the zapper.”

“We’ll have to flank him!” Ladybug said to Chat Noir.

Ladybug and Chat Noir do a pincer move to attack from both sides.

“Don’t count on it!”

Shock Thief raised his gun high above his head, opened two prongs and shot two streams of lightning, each one at Ladybug and Chat Noir. They both dodged his lightning.

“He can shoot both sides?” Said Chat Noir.

“His weapon has more than one setting. Be careful.”

Knowing what they are dealing with, Ladybug and Chat Noir decided to use their special abilities.

“Lucky Charm!”

“Cataclysm!”

Ladybug threw her yoyo in the air to bring out an object that will defeat their enemy.

“A fireplace shovel?” Ladybug looked with confusion.

“Good! You’ll be digging your own graves with it!” Said Shock Thief.

Shock Thief shoots another bolt of lightning; Ladybug blocked with her yoyo.

Ladybug looked around but she could not find anything useful to match with her Lucky Charm. Chat Noir manages to get close to the villain.

“You were saying about not coming in ten feet?” Chat Noir said with a smile.

Chat Noir tried to use his Cataclysm on Shock Thief’s gun but the villain released a burst of energy from the side of his gun shocking Chat Noir kicked him to the railing of the bridge, landed his hand on it and destroyed it.

“You think you’re funny, pussycat? I’m the one gonna be laughing once you’re beneath my feet, and the bug with it!”

Ladybug and Chat Noir fight Shock Thief on and on, taking minimal hits, trying to find an opening, but he is skilled, repelling them back with his blows and his lightning. They managed to land a few blows on him and his weapon but were not able to break it. Shock Thief is losing patience.

“Okay! I’m gonna take you all in one blast!”

The barrel of Shock Thief’s gun widens, charging up into a large ball of electricity.

“You know we can dodge that, right?” Said Chat Noir.

“Maybe, but I don’t think they can!”

Shock Thief is aiming at Alya and Nino where they are watching from afar and then fires at them

“NOOO!!!!!” Marinette screamed.

Ladybug and Chat Noir jumped in front of the ball before it reached Alya and Nino, shocking the two heroes in the explosion. Ladybug and Chat Noir are down.

Shock Thief then pointing his shock gun at Alya, telling her to come over.

“Hey, girl! Come over here and keep filming!”

Alya walks over slowly with her phone on him, Nino follows.

“Not you!”

Shock Thief pointing his shock gun at Nino.

Nino steps back. Alya continues walking closer to Shock Thief with Ladybug and Chat Noir lying on the ground.

“You want an exclusive close-up? Well, here is it. I’m Shock Thief and this is my city now. And this is what happens to people who play heroes.”

Shock Thief grabbed Ladybug up by the shoulder above the ground with one hand and put his other hand onto one of Ladybug’s earrings. Ladybug was still conscious but is too stunned to do anything, all she can do is watch what happens next.

—— Part 8 ——

Just when Shock Thief was about to do the unthinkable, the silence was broken by an explosion and something hit Shock Thief’s right shoulder, letting go of Ladybug’s left earring still attached to her earlobe. Soon another explosion, this time it hit Shock Thief’s left arm, dropping Ladybug free. Everyone turns to the direction where the sound came from. In the direction facing Jardins du Trocadero, there stands the mysterious Gray Cowboy, dressed in gray with his strange revolver in his right hand, arm bent pointing upward, looking at Shock Thief.

“That’s not how you treat a lady or two.”

Ladybug, Chat Noir, Alya, and Nino hear the Gray Cowboy speak for the first time, it was also their first time seeing him in person.

“A cowboy? Seriously, A cowboy in Paris? What is this world coming to?!” Shock Thief shouted humorously.

“So… The mysterious hero in gray shows at last. Get rid of him as you see fits, he should be of no trouble.” Says Hawkmoth, speaking to Shock Thief.

“Cool toys, maybe I should take them!”

“Over my dead body!”

Shock Thief fires his gun in rapid bursts. The Gray Cowboy ran to the side, dodging his shots. He shoots him back but with two pistols this time; all shots hit Shock Thief, each impact results in a tiny explosion. He then shoots Shock Thief in the face, temporarily stunning him.

Alya and Nino grabbed Ladybug and Chat Noir and took them out of the crossfire.

“Ladybug, are you okay?” Alya asked.

“I’m fine, I’ll regain my strength. Chat Noir, are you alright?”

“Stunning, M’Lady!”

Ladybug knows Chat Noir was just trying to be positive to hide the pain.

“Can you fight?”

“I can but I’m running out of time before I change back.”

“So am I! Alya, you and Nino get somewhere safe. We’ll handle Shock Thief.”

“Understand, Ladybug. Sorry about back there that you and Chat Noir have to save us.”

“It’s fine, I will do it again. Now go.”

“Right, come on, Nino!”

Alya and Nino ran for safety, and Chat Noir leaped to Ladybug.

“So, M’Lady, what about our new friend?”

“Right now, we have a common enemy.”

The Gray Cowboy runs around Shock Thief, dodging his shots and shooting him at every angle. He shoots two small grapple claws each from the underneath the barrel of his pistol, they zipped past his head.

“Ha, you missed!-”

The claws actually grabbed a car bumper broken off from one of the destroyed police cars, retracted his claws and knocked Shock Thief’s head from behind. Ladybug and Chat Noir jump in next to the Gray Cowboy.

“I see you made quite an entrance! I’m Chat Noir, and you are, partner?” Said Chat Noir with humor.

“Partner? I thought she’s your partner.”

“Thanks for saving us back there, we only got a few minutes before we transform back. We need to figure out a way to stop Shock Thief but how?”

Ladybug looks at her Lucky Charm again, this time she sees the Gray Cowboy, and turns around and sees the Eiffel Tower, realizing that the Eiffel Tower and her Lucky Charm are the form of a fireplace shovel both made of wrought iron.

“The Eiffel Tower, we’ll have a better advantage there, the Lucky Charm told me. He’ll have to come after us, let’s go.” Said Ladybug.

Both the heroes run toward the Eiffel Tower. Hawkmoth speaks to Shock Thief telepathically.

“Don’t let them out of your sight, after them!”

Shock Thief pursues them.

Ladybug goes over the plan as the three heroes run.

“So what’s the plan?” Chat Noir asked.

“That’s just the first step. You and I recharge so we can reuse our abilities. Gray Cowboy-.”

“The name ain’t Gray Cowboy, but Gray is right”

“Gray, we need you to hold off Shock Thief for a while. Can we trust you on that?” Ladybug explained.

“You can count on me, Lady.”

“That’s all we need, we’ll see you soon, and good luck.”

Ladybug and Chat Noir jumped up to the first floor of the Eiffel Tower, Ladybug and Chat Noir ran in opposite directions and hid behind the pillar to avoid seeing each other. Gray Cowboy stops near the center of the base of the Eiffel Tower and turns around to face Shock Thief.

“Now’s your chance! Shock Thief Get those miraculouses while they’re still recharging.” Said Hawkmoth to Shock Thief

Shock Thief jumps up, then being grappled down by the Gray Cowboy.

“Just you and me now, shock punk!”

Shock Thief is now forced to fight the Gray Cowboy.

Ladybug and Chat Noir transformed back to Marinette and Adrien to feed their Kwamis.

“I hope I can trust Gray, why else the Lucky Charm points to him?” Marinette said to Tikki.

“If the Lucky Charm said that you should trust him, then you should.”

“You’re right, Tikki, the Lucky Charm is never wrong. Time to transform again!”

Meanwhile with Adrien and Plagg on the lower deck.

“I hope Gray Cowboy is holding off on his own.”

“He’ll be fine! He managed to hold off Shock Thief this far.”

“He did all that trouble to help us, I know he’s a hero. Come on, let’s help him, Plagg!”

“Tikki, Spots On!”

“Plagg, Claws Out!”

Marinette and Adrien transformed back into Ladybug and Chat Noir.

—— Part 9 ——

Ladybug and Chat Noir run to the center opening where they watch Gray fighting Shock Thief finely on his own, witnessing his immense skills and firepower equal to his foe. Ladybug and Chat Noir jumped right beside Gray; it is now round two for the heroes.

Ladybug, Chat Noir, and Gray fight Shock Thief altogether.

“I hope you two enjoyed your break, I could use a little help here.”

Even with three against one, Shock Thief is strong and evasive. The three heroes decide to regroup at the first of the Eiffel Tower. Gray throws a smoke and stun grenade at Shock Thief to buy some time.

“This one‘s tough, charging him didn’t work, and I can’t break his gun.”

“Didn’t you say you fought supervillains before?” Chat Noir asked.

“Not an Akumatized one before.”

“Can’t you use your bombs?”

“The grenades that I have aren't strong enough to knock him out nor even scratch his gun.”

“Looks like we have to use our abilities.” Said Ladybug.

Ladybug activates her special ability.

“Lucky Charm!”

The Lucky Charm is in the form of a coil of copper wire.

“Copper wire?” Ladybug said with surprise.

“Great! As if we’re not getting shocked enough today.” Gray being sarcastic.

Ladybug looks around, she sees her Lucky Charm, Gray‘s belt and Grappling gun, and then Chat Noir’s baton and two of the Eiffel Tower‘s pillars.

“Hmm, Gray, what do you have in your belt?”

“Ammo, grenades of different kinds, tools and stuff.”

“Do you have anything electric in there?”

“A small taser gun but you do know we’re up against an electric-type villain. Would you need that?”

“Just a hunch. Gary, give me your belt and grappling hook. Chat Noir, place your baton between those two pillars diagonally.”

“Got it, Ladybug!” Said Chat Noir.

Gray gives Ladybug their items.

“I need time to put these together. Gray, can you get his attention?”

“Sure, I can do that.” Said Gray.

“Here he comes!” Chat Noir shouted.

Shock Thief jumped up right in front of the heroes.

“Excellent choice, with this much metal, place is one big bug-zapper. Alright, kids, playtime’s over!”

The heroes are already at one corner of the first floor of the Eiffel Tower, Ladybug and Chat Noir run opposite direction while Gray stays. Shock Thief aimed his gun at Ladybug and was about to shoot but was stopped when Gray shot him in the face.

“It’s me you want, come and get me!” Gray put his pistol in his holster and ready to fight by hand.

“You're really starting to get on my nerve, cowboy!”

Gray and Shock Thief fight once more.

“You’re not so tough without your toys. This will be over real soon!” Said Shock Thief.

“Oh it will but not for me!”

While distracted on Gray, Ladybug dumped out Gray’s belt. Wrapping the grappling gun, grenades, and taser together in copper wires, attaching the ends of the wires to the prong of the taser, charging the coil. The crafted item is ready, Ladybug aims the grappling claw at Shock Thief though she never used it before.

“I hope this works. This should be easy enough...”

Chat Noir jumped to the center of the first floor, placing his elongated baton diagonally each end touching the tower’s pillars over the opening gap of the floor.

“It’s ready!” Chat Noir shouted to Ladybug.

“Now, Gray!”

Gray grabbed Shock Thief from behind, Ladybug fired the grappling gun and the claw caught on Shock Thief’s clothing and retracted bringing the Lucky Charm toward him. Gray kicked Shock Thief fast to the edge where there is the inner gap of the first floor. He then jumps backward, pulls out his pistol and shoots at the crafted item that Ladybug made. The Lucky Charm exploded into a massive electric fireball, sent Shock Thief in the air over the gap, hitting Chat Noir’s baton, and fell straight down to the base of the Eiffel Tower. The big explosion, hitting Chat Noir’s baton, and 200 feet fall was more than enough to weaken the villain.

Shock Thief weakenly stands up and points his shock gun at the heroes.

“Stupid kids, you think a mere bomb can stop me? I still can take you.”

Shock Thief pulls the trigger but nothing comes out of his gun. With confusion, Shock Thief kept pressing and hitting his weapon with his other hand.

“Why won’t it shoot?!”

“EMP burst, knocks out anything electrical. Courtesy of Ladybug and me.” Gray explained.

“Now Chat Noir!” Ladybug shouted.

“Cataclysm!”

Chat Noir activated his ability, he jumped down and knocked Shock Thief unconscious. Touching Shock Thief’s gun, distentigrating it, and flew out the Akuma.

“More evil-doing for you little Akuma! Time to de-evilize!”

Ladybug swings her yoyo, catching the Akuma. She opens her yoyo and comes out a pure-white butterfly.

“Bye-bye little butterfly! Miraculous Ladybug!”

Ladybug throws her Lucky Charm in the air, bursts into a wave of bright red and white light in the form of magical ladybugs, returning Chat Noir and Gray’s items, repairing all the damages done by Shock Thief, and Shock Thief transforms back into his normal self. Shock Thief is defeated and everything goes back to normal.

“Pound it!” Ladybug and Chat Noir pounded fists.

“You know, if I didn’t know better, I think you’re a real MacGyver, Ladybug.”

“MacGyver?” Chat Noir asked.

The Miraculous heroes now turned to Gray.

—— Part 10 ——

Chat Noir stands and watches Ladybug and Gray as they are having a serious conversation.

“Tell me something, “Gray.” Why didn’t you show yourself to us earlier? We’ve been trying to find you since you appeared, it’s like you’ve been avoiding us. Why now, just when our miraculouses were about to be taken? Were you watching us?”

“First, let’s just say I’m a private person. Second, I thought you guys got this, you do your thing, I do my thing. But when I saw that electric guy shocking you two left and right, I had jumped in. So, you’re welcome by the way.”

“This is our city, Paris is under our protection. Did it ever occur to you that you might make things worse? Why are you doing here in Paris?”

“Important personal business. Plus, I heard the food here is great.”

“This isn’t a game. Shock Thief wasn’t some thug you beat up on the street. They’re real supervillains with superpowers you cannot understand.”

“Does it look like I’m playing around here? I know what’s at stake. And don’t take me for some amateur, I’ve been fighting baddies like him long before you two put on those flashy unitards.”

“You’re the one to talk about fashion, buckaroo.” Asked Chat Noir.

“Listen Gray, I know you’re trying to help and we appreciated it but your presence has been interfering with our work in Paris. Hawkmoth has akumatized people more times this week than usual including the one we just fought. Hawkmoth is trying to get to you to get to us.” What if he akumatized you?

“You think I don’t know that? Like I said, I have an important personal business here which it’s something I can’t just pack up and leave. And who knows, maybe we share the same goals: stopping Hawkmoth.”

“And how do I trust you that you’re one of Hawkmoth’s villains, trying to lure us into his trap?”

“If what I just did back wasn’t enough of a proof, then I guess… You don’t. If you don’t trust me, that’s fine with me. I didn’t expect trust from people these days.”

“I’ve seen what you did at the convenience store, we will not condone such violence in our city.”

“Lady, there are some things you gotta do what you gotta do.”

Without a warning, the thief who was once Shock Thief stunned Chat Noir with his taser he had on him before he got Akumatized. He uses Chat Noir as a human shield and holds the taser up to his face. Ladybug and Gray turned to them when it just happened.

“Not again!” Said Chat Noir.

“Chat Noir!” Ladybug shouted.

“Nobody moves!” The thief demanded.

Gray Gunner and Ladybug pull out their weapons.

“Don’t even think about it! One move and I’ll light this kitty like a Christmas tree. This may not be a gun but this is how we took out those security guards back at the bank. I don’t know what just happened. The last thing I remember I was in the back of a truck full of money and surrounded by cops. Since you’re here, I’m thinking you’re here to take me to the authorities. Well, fat chance! I’m not going anywhere with you, heroes! I heard your suits are tough so this next one goes to the face!”

“Not the face!” Chat Noir pleaded humorously.

“You do that and you’ll get shocked too, and I’ll rain Hell on you!” Said Gray.

“If you’re that good, you could’ve taken the shot which you didn’t, so I’m guessing you don't want to accidentally hit your precious kitty. Either way, he’ll go down with me and we don’t want that to happen, do we?”

“Chat Noir, are you okay?” Ladybug asked.

“I’m fine, just tingling.” Still weakened by the shock.

“Hang in there, Chat, we’ll get you out!” Ladybug shouted.

“Don’t get any ideas, I’m quicker than you think. Now here’s the deal, I’ll start moving backward and you two turn around and walk forward. If I see as much as one step in my direction, the cat gets it!”

Gray Gunner knows the dilemma they are in. The thief is well-protected with Chat Noir’s body. If he shoots, he would risk hitting Chat Noir or allowing the thief to shock him once more even if it means it will shock himself in the process. All he needs is an opening, a distraction to get him off guard to get a clean shot. He can only think of one better way to do this but it could risk revealing his secret identity; he has to do it, for Chat Noir.

“Well, I got something to say to you and you better listen very carefully!... 黑猫, 转头, 在你的左边!” - (“Hēi Māo, zhuǎn tóu, zài nǐ de zuǒbiān!”) - (“Chat Noir, turn your head, on your left!”) Gray Gunner speaks in Mandarin.

It caught Ladybug and Chat Noir by a huge surprise when they just learned Gray can speak Chinese. Chat Noir, as Adrien, studies Chinese and understands what Gray Gunner said and he was speaking directly to him.

“Hey! What did you just say? What did he say? Did he just-.” Chat Noir interrupted the Thief.

Chat Noir jolted his head to his left with all his strength he had, leaving enough space on the thief’s body for Gray to shoot. Gray then fires all his shots from his pistol onto the thief, one of his bullets hits the taser, releasing an electrical surge through the thief’s body, shocking as he screams in pain then falls to the ground unconsciously. The gangster is defeated.

“Ooh… Toasty!” Said Chat Noir.

“That was… Extreme.” Ladybug was surprised how it went down.

“Now that’s what I call Karma.” Said Gray.

“Thanks again for everything, Gray.” Chat Noir thanked Gray.

“You’re welcome.” Said Gray.

“How do you know I understand Chinese?” Chat Noir asked Gray.

“Uh… Just a hunch, I heard you know Chinese. And you look like a smart guy.”

“And where did you learn to speak Chinese?”

“Um… Anybody can speak Chinese, people learn foreign languages these days. And for your information, I am an American, English is the only language spoken there you know.”

Gray smiles nervously beneath his mask as Chat Noir stares at him with suspecting glare. Fortunately for him, his face is fully covered so the two Miraculous heroes cannot tell his facial expressions. Gray is starting to regret his stunt, all he can do is try to mislead them and wait for it to pass.

“Oh and by the way, the name’s Gray Gunner, Thy Gray Gunner!”

Gray Gunner finally reveals his name.

—— Part 11 ——

The police have just arrived, they got out of their cars, arresting the unconscious thief and his partner from the armored truck, and securing them in one of their trucks. Officer Raincomprix came to thank Ladybug and Chat Noir personally and criticize Gray Gunner about his weapons and how they are against the law in France and asked if he has any license for them; viewing him more of a vigilante than a hero who takes law into his own hands. Gray Gunner explained that his weapons are not considered traditional firearms that they function differently outside normal law. He then tells Raincomprix that there is a thin line between heroism and vigilantism. Gray Gunner even goes as far as reminding Raincomprix that endangerment of minors is still against the law since Paris authorities allow Ladybug and Chat Noir to run into danger many times when they are just teenagers. This got Roger Raincomprix upset but he was forgiving and gave Gray Gunner a pass since he helped Ladybug and Chat Noir take down a supervillain who is a bank robber he was chasing earlier.

“Okay, cowboy, I’ll let you off the hook this time but I got my eye on you. You may be the cowboy but I’m the sheriff around here. So don’t think for a second you can take my job!”

“Your job? Why I never! I don’t want your job, bad work hours. Well, whatever you say, Sheriff Raincomprix.”

Officer Raincomprix enters his car, looks back at Gray Gunner, closes one eye and points his finger at him as if it were a pistol. He drops his thumb down as if it were a hammer, imitates a gunshot sound with his mouth, and lifts his hand backward as if he just shot the Gray Gunner.

“Ah… Crazy kid. Sheriff Raincomprix, I like the sound of that!”

Raincomprix was just playing with him, he has a feeling he is going to like the Gray Gunner even though he does not admit it. Officer Roger Raincomprix drove off with a smile on his face.

The news crew has just arrived at the scene and are making their way to the heroes. As they are approaching, Gray Gunner decided to leave.

“Uh oh… Looks like I’ve overstayed my welcome. Gray Gunner said to himself.

“Oh, would you look at that, it’s time for me to go! See you guys later! Au Revoir!”

Gray Gunner shoots his grappling guns and zips away.

“Where’s he going?” Chat Noir asked.

“I think you should ask them.” Said Ladybug.

Ladybug and Chat Noir also wanted to leave but it was too late, the swarm of reporters and their camera crew blocked their path, shouting their names and asking them questions.

“Ladybug and Chat Noir! Was that the Gray Cowboy we just saw? Do you know what is he like, and why is he here in Paris? Are you three working together from now on?” Nadia Chamack, the anchorwoman and reporter asked..

Ladybug and Chat Noir only have a couple of minutes left before they transform back but Ladybug wants to give her statement.

“Well, Nadia, he calls himself The Gray Gunner. And the truth is, we still don’t know anything about him or why he’s here, and we can’t tell for certain if we’ll be working together again.”

“But what we can say he saved our lives back there, twice for me, and we couldn't have defeated Shock Thief without him.” Said Chat Noir.

“I’m sorry, Nadia but we have someplace to be, but I just want you to know we will keep protecting Paris no matter what happens next. Bug Out!”

Ladybug and Chat Noir leaps away from the scene, heading to their respective hiding places to detransform.

“Spot Off!”

Ladybug transforms back to Marinette.

“I better get back to the others, they must be worried sick.” Said Marinette.

Marinette runs back to her friends.

Chat Noir returns to the bus his bodyguard put him in for safety.

“Claws In!”

Chat Noir transforms back to Adrien.

Adrien’s Bodyguard was looking around for Adrien until he saw him in the bus, asking him if he can come out now. Confused as he could have sworn he was missing from the car.

Meanwhile in Hawkmoth’s Lair where he gives his usual villain monologue.

“Ladybug, Chat Noir. You’ve only won because you had help from an unlikely ally which means you will not win the battle without him, And as for you, Gray Gunner, today was only a test. You may fight alongside Ladybug and Chat Noir, but one day, I will Akumatize you and you will fight alongside me!”

The circular ‘butterfly’ window closes and the chamber becomes dark.

—— Part 12 ——

Marinette and Adrien both ran to the northwest front of Pont D’lena from where their group last split up where they reunited with Alya and Nino.

“Yo, Marinette and Adrien! You won’t believe who we saw, the Gray Gunner! He showed up and saved Ladybug and Chat Noir.”

“Gray Gunner? You mean, the Gray Cowboy?” Adrien play dumb.

“The Gray Gunner, or at least what Ladybug calls him. You should’ve seen how he fought that supervillain and zips around with his grappling hook. I got most of it on camera. Do you think there’s such thing as a ‘Cowboy Miraculous?’” Asked Alya.

“A ‘Cowboy Miraculous’? There’s no such thing as a cowboy miraculous!... Not that I know anything about Miraculouses other than what you wrote about on your Ladyblog…”

Marinette smiled and pretending to be naive, as she looked at her friends, she noticed there was one person missing from their group.

“Gary! Where’s Gary?!” Marinette asked with a shock.

“I thought he was with you.” Said Adrien.

“No, he wasn’t with me. Alya, Nino, did you see where Gary went?”

Marinette knew Alya and Nino could not have seen where Gary went since they were on the bridge since the Akuma attack but she hoped to get a clue.

“Nah, Marinette. Alya and I stayed on the bridge when it all started; I had to look out for her. We thought he ran with you and Adrien.”

“We kind of split up during the attack, we didn’t pay attention with everything going on. But I’m sure he’s okay, the Akuma attack didn’t happen this far.” Said Adrien.

“But what if he got lost or kidnapped, by one of the robbers from earlier? We promised him a tour of Paris and now we left him all by himself. He probably thinks we ditched him. This is all my fault, I shouldn't have taken him on this tour.” Marinette is panicking, covering her face with her hands.

“Don’t beat yourself over it, Marinette, We’re all responsible for Gary. Now, come on, let’s find our friend!” Adrien cheers Marinette.

“Hey guys!”

The teens suddenly heard a familiar voice, it was Gary, running towards them.

“You guys okay? Is it over?”

“Where were you, Gary? We were worrying about you!” Marinette asked.

“I was hiding… Someplace… Very far… When it was over, I tried looking for you guys… Thought you were all hiding far away too…” Gary was panting from running.

“I thought we lost you. You probably think we ditched you.” Said Marinette.

“Ditched me?... Nah, never! You’re all too nice to do that.”

“Still, we’re sorry that we left alone, bro. That was selfish of us.” Said Nino.

“Here’s a secret, I was being selfish too, I was busy hiding that didn’t bother looking for you guys, my friends, until it was already over. We all can be selfish at times. So, I forgive you.”

“You are one of the kindest people I ever met.” Adrien complimented Gary.

“Come on, group hug on Gary!” Said Alya.

Everybody hugs Gary at the same time.

“Oh, Okay!... A lot of hugging today!” Said Gary embarrassingly.

“We won’t lose you again, bro!” Said Nino.

Everyone finished their hug.

“So, what now? Can we still go to the Eiffel Tower?” Gary asked.

“Well, with the supervillain and the akuma defeated and the Miraculous Ladybugs repaired everything. I think it’s safe to say the Eiffel Tower reopens. Just another day in Paris.” Said Marinette.

“Too bad I didn’t see the action up close. Right then, onward!” Said Gary.

The Eiffel Tower reopens soon after the akuma attack. The teens bought their tickets from the booth, walked past the checkpoint, and waited for the elevator in one of the legs of the tower. When the elevator arrives, the door opens and Gary takes a deep breath and speaks quietly to himself so his friends could not hear him.

“Okay, Gary, you can do this!”

The group walks into the elevator and their journey up the Eiffel Tower begin.

—— Part 13 ——

As the group got inside the elevator, Gary looked out the window as the elevator moved higher away from the ground to the first floor.

“So tell me, is going up the Eiffel Tower considered some kind of rite-of-passage for all Parisians?” Gary Asked.

“Well… kind of for some people but not everyone likes the height.” Said Alya.

“Yeah…” Gary replied, considering he is among the people who does not like heights.

The teens reached the first floor of the Eiffel Tower, Gary looked around the inner part of the floor, looking down through the opening in the center.

“I can’t believe Ladybug and Chat Noir just fought here!” Said Gary.

“They fought here many times, it’s a part of their job. There was one villain Ladybug and Chat Noir fought named Magician of Misfortune who tried to make the Eiffel Tower disappear. I can’t imagine what Paris would be like without the Eiffel Tower.” Said Marinette.

“Like David Copperfield?” Said Gary with an odd expression.

“Who?” Asked Marinette.

“David Copperfield, an American magician who made the Statue of Liberty disappear back in 1983.

Everybody is puzzled.

“Are you serious, bro?” Nino asked.

“Seriously? You never heard of David Copperfield?” Gary replied.

“Was he a supervillain?” Marinette asked.

“No, just a normal showy guy with unexplained tricks.”

“So he doesn’t have any superpower or magical powers?” Alya asked.

“Ah… Kids these days.” Gary muttered to himself.

Moving on with the tour. The teens move toward the outer edges of the floor, viewing the skyline of Paris and taking pictures of themselves. Gary was amazed by the splendor.

“It gets better when we go higher.” Said Nino.

“Right, higher…” Gary looked up the tower.

The group goes back to the elevator they rode in to go to the second and middle floor of the tower. The view of Paris got smaller and the horizon got wider. Gary is always fascinated seeing the horizon since he originally grew up surrounded by mountain ranges. Gary explored the entire two decks to see every layout he could find. When the teens are done taking pictures, they start walking toward the elevators in the center of the floor where it will lead to the final floor at the top of the tower.

The teens finally reached the top floor of the Eiffel Tower. Gary steps out of the elevator and looks around the cabin. The other teens walked outside, inviting Gary to join them. He slowly walks outside the cabin toward the edge where he and his friends see Paris from up high.

“Holy… S***!” Gary expressed in English and apologized for his swearing.

“Everything looks so small! And I thought over there was big!” Gary points at Jardins du Trocadero where they visited earlier.

The city landscape looked almost flat all the way to the horizon and the buildings and cars appeared tiny to the eye; as if Gary was standing on top of the world. Mixed with the fear of the height and the joy of seeing Paris from the distance, the feeling was exhilarating.

“You guys do this all the time?” Gary asked his friends.

“Not all the time, but we come up to get inspiration and a peace of mind; to remind ourselves of this city.”

“Damn… Over 125 years and still standing; a true test of time. Pardon my French.” Gary apologized again for his swearing, he was more worried about using an American or English-Speaking idiom.

“Thank you guys for everything!”

Gary thanked his new friends and gave them all a hug. Realizing that he was beyond fortunate to have friends like Marinette, Adrien, Alya, and Nino, his eyes started to become weary as he smiles; he was happy to have such good friends.

“So tell me, Gary, why do people say Pardon my French in America?” Nino asked.

“I have no idea...”

The teens talked and laughed, took pictures together, taking their time on top of the Eiffel Tower with the view of Paris all around them.

—— Part 14 ——

It is now late afternoon and their tour is officially over. The teens descended down from the tower and Adrien’s Bodyguard drove them back to Marinette’s family bakery where their trip began. Gary thanked his friends for one last time and said each other farewell and they all went to their homes.

Gary returned to his home apartment, putting down his backpack on a coat-hanger on the wall in his bedroom and dropped down on the couch in his living room. He then opened a small music box and started commenting about his day.

“Boy, what a day! You won’t believe who I just met! And I get the feeling we’ll be seeing each other again real soon.”

As Gary sat on his couch with his music box, his backpack slipped from the coat-hanger onto the floor, revealing a gray brimmed hat.  
Gary Ash is the Gray Gunner.

—— End of The Gray Gunner ——

**Author's Note:**

> Author's note: Miraculous Ladybug and its characters belong to Zagtoon.  
> Gary Ash/Gray Gunner belongs to me.
> 
> I thought I would finish this story half the amount of time I did for Cowboy in Paris, but this story needs some heart-to-heart emotional moments and funny moments for the story to stick. I did not expect I would be doing a lot of research on the Eiffel Tower; just the general history, architectural specs, and tourist videos. Writing this story is scary since I have to describe being on the Eiffel Tower, which I’ve never been, when I’m afraid of heights, even looking at Eiffel Tower videos scares me to the core.  
> But I am learning a bit more about Paris as I write along. This feels kind of how tourists view Paris, here all I have is imagination based off pictures and people who visited Paris. I wish I could go there someday; I’ve always wanted to see Europe.
> 
> As much I want to go straight into the superhero action, I believe it is necessary to have some humanly moments in a story. Regarding superheroes, they are normal people beneath the masks with normal lives and normal fears and desires as those with masks. Including Gary. An OC (Original Character) is a representation of the author, Gary is a version of me. Gary is too afraid of heights but full of regrets in his life, even simple ones like not being able to visit famous places, so he just ‘YOLO-ed’ (You Only Live Once-ed) his way up to the Eiffel Tower and make a good impression on his friends he never have before even if it was the last thing he do on Earth. He just to remind himself there are scarier things than heights, spiders maybe?
> 
> You probably already figured out Gary Ash is the Gray Gunner but this ‘chapter’ is the official reveal. Of course, there are some very-obvious clues, like “Gary” and “Gray” have the same letters and gray is the color ash. Gary and Gray Gunner showed up on the same day, and that Gray Gunner speaks Chinese because Gary is Chinese. I got the idea of Gray Gunner speaking a foreign language to Chat Noir in a hostage situation from a Korean Drama Mr. Sunshine I saw on Netflix. You would think Chat Noir thinks the Gray Gunner is Gary since he is the only other person who can speak Chinese, could this also mean Gray/Gary knows Chat Noir is Adrien.  
> But then again, Miraculous Ladybug always looked over the obvious, so why not for Gary/Gray.
> 
> If you’re wondering if Gary is so afraid of heights, how was he not scared as the Gray Gunner in the Eiffel Tower. He is but because he wears his suit with his gadgets and enhancement, he is less scared not. So if he falls off a building, he can grapple his way to safety. I think I would be less scared of flying if I were the one flying the plane. You know what I mean?
> 
> I have more trouble with the Akumatized villain idea and the battle sequence. First, I feel like I kind of rushed this entire story. Second, I’m afraid I’m not very imaginative when it comes to character design. I had to recreate and renamed the villain three times. I originally intended for the villain to have a traditionally-look gun for a weapon and the akumatized object is a shotgun but you know Miraculous Ladybug is a kid’s show. Another remake was that the bank robber was part of a gang trying to move up higher in the world. I don’t know how other people design characters in industries or fanwork, it’s hard and time-consuming for me. Gary/Gray Gunner is a character I’ve been developing for over 1 year, over 10 years even when I first have the name in mind. Inspired by myself, my life, my past OCs, and my favorite fictional characters through the years and I’m still developing.
> 
> I have to go back and forth with some parts of the story, like with the Lucky Charm, insight thinking is not something I’m good at. I don’t know what to find if I were in Ladybug’s place.
> 
> I hope I write my next chapter, book, or part of Gary Ash/Gray Gunner series quicker next time. And I checked for any misspelling, grammar, or sentence problems as I could find. Hope you didn’t run into them.
> 
> Thanks for reading.


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